It Takes Two To Fall In Love
by BoStOnChIcK
Summary: I'M BACK! CHAP 7! ALL CHAPS EDITED! Sirius Black bets James Potter that he can't get Lily Evans to fall in love with him. Piece of cake, right? That is, until Sirius mentions that James isn't allowed to fall in love himself.
1. Tutor

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine. No duh.

A/N: Hello ppl! Yep, this is my brand new fanfic! I, however, still will be continuing my other fanfic: Can't Buy Me Love. I hope you like my story!

Chapter 1 – The Bet and a Tutor

James Potter grinned and winked as Laura Afkins walked by with her friends. His best friend, Sirius Black, snickered when Laura let out a dreamy sigh and began giggling with her friends.

"I don't understand why they're all in love with you, Prongs. And, to think, it's still the beginning of the year," Remus Lupin remarked.

"Easy. It's me. Who isn't in love with me? With my good looks, that would be nearly impossible," James joked. He ruffled his messy, jet-black hair.

"They're not _all_ in love with him," Sirius Black replied. James snickered. Remus looked vaguely interested.

"Oh? Name one girl that isn't dying to go on a date with me," James said arrogantly. Sirius smirked.

"She's right over there, Prongs. There's your girl." He pointed to the end of Hogwarts' corridor. James turned slightly.

"Lily Evans? You got to be kidding me. Well, watch this… Oi! EVANS! Will you go out with me?" he hollered. Lily glared at him in disgust.

"Get a life, Potter," she replied, turning and walking away. Remus snickered. James frowned, narrowing his eyes.

"Oh well. It's only Evans. Should I care about her?" he lazily scoffed, trying to sound nonchalant. Sirius shrugged.

"I dunno, Prongs. Evans looks like a pretty good catch, to me. One girl can make a big difference," he mused.

"Whatever. I bet she'll fall in love with me before the school year is even half over, anyways," James casually remarked. Sirius grinned.

"You're on, mate. By the end of the year, Evans has to be completely head over heels in love with you." James froze as his two best friends strolled away, cackling.

"Wait! Evans!" James called out, jogging up to Lily. "McGonagall told me to give you this." He handed her a slip of paper.

Lily skimmed the note, her eyes widening with every word. "WHAT?" she roared, waving the note near his head. "This is not happening. This is _not_ happening…"

"What?"

"Don't 'what' me! You set me up for this! IT SAYS HERE THAT I AM SUPPOSED TO TUTOR YOU FOR THREE, WHOLE MONTHS!" she hollered. James shrugged carelessly.

"Well, _sor-ry_, not everyone is as smart as you, Evans," he replied sarcastically, raking his fingers through his tousled hair.

"You are one of the smartest students, James Potter! Why do you need tutoring?" Lily demanded. Without waiting for an answer, she spun around smartly on her heel and marched away. James paused, then shook his head. _Did Lily Evans just compliment me?_

"Padfoot! We have to clear a few things up," James declared. Sirius nodded, sinking into one of the comfy chairs in the common room. "First of all, what are we betting?" James asked. His best friend shrugged thoughtfully. Remus looked up from the corner of the room, where he was diligently studying.

"You guys are still going on with this?" he asked incredously. The two exchanged a glance and then nodded. "How about… The loser gives 15 galleons and becomes the winner's slave for 2 weeks," he suggested.

"Perfect, Moony. Brilliant. Genius. Ahh, I can't wait to see Prongs slave over me for half a month," Sirius sighed. James rolled his eyes and waved his hand, dismissing the situation.

"Right. The other this is – you _cannot_ interfere with me and Lily," James ordered sternly. Sirius pretended to look disappointed.

"Okay… but, there was one part of the bet I forgot to mention," Sirius confessed. James eyed him suspiciously.

"Which is…?"

"You aren't allowed to fall in love with her."

"Evans… You're five minutes late," James playfully scolded as Lily entered the Room of Requirement. He was sitting on the top of one of the desks, playing with his Golden Snitch.

"Shut up, Potter, and get out your book. Turn to page 75 and start reading," she commanded. James scowled but obeyed.

After a couple minutes, Lily looked up. "Potter, are you reading?" she demanded. James grinned and shook his head. "Why not?"

"Don't feel like it. It's boring. So, Evans, tell me about yourself," he prodded. Lily stared at him as if he were crazy.

"Potter, are you out of your mind? This is a Transfiguration lesson! I'm your tutor, and I told you to read!" she shouted. James licked his chapped lips. _This isn't going the way I want it to. If I have to get her to fall in love with me, I have to get her to know me. _

"Come on, Evans. I can assure you, I'm not going to be able to concentrate, knowing that I'm being taught by some stranger," James coaxed. "Here, I'll start by telling you about myself. Ahem. So. My full name is James Harold Potter, and I'm -."

"I don't want to know about you, Potter. Just read!" Lily interrupted. James pretended to pout.

"Aww, c'mon, Evans. Are you telling me you don't care the least bit about me?" he asked. Lily glared at him. "Why don't you tell me about yourself, then?"

"My name is Lily Evans, and I think that you're an annoying, conceited snob that thinks that good looks are everything," Lily snarled. James ignored the nasty comment and tried to look pleased.

"You see? That was very good, Evans. Now, my name is James Harold Potter and I'm a Marauder. My best friends are Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. I'm the son of Kevin and Lucy Potter. I'm an only child, and both of my parents went to Hogwarts and were in Gryffindor before me. In fact, they're both Aurors," he went on. That caught Lily's attention.

"They're Aurors?" she repeated, sounding slightly awed. James nodded proudly, grinning at the thought of them.

"Two of the best," he confirmed smugly. His voice dropped at the next comment. "In fact… they're always being sent away on business, searching for You-Know-Who… They're not home much."

"Oh… I'm sorry," Lily murmured. James glanced up. _No! She's not supposed to feel sorry for me… Unless… That'll help me win the bet…_

"You're lucky, though, not having any siblings. My sister, Petunia, she's like a witch herself," Lily continued. James laughed. "She's always ranting on about how stupid it is to be able to turn teacups into mice and about how that would never come in handy during life."

"Ouch. You could always threaten to hex her," James suggested mischievously, wiggling his eyebrows. Lily rolled her eyes but laughed.

"Yeah right. I wish. But she's got this boyfriend – Vernon, and he'd totally kill me if I did anything," she said. James snickered.

"Well, I'd kill them both if he did anything to you," he blurted out. He immediately turned red from the comment. Lily blushed and began to stare at the ground. There was an awkward silence.

"Are you… a Muggleborn?" James uneasily questioned. Lily nodded slowly, her eyes fixed on her shoes.

"Yeah… My mom and dad were really shocked to find out that I was a witch," she explained softly. James nodded knowingly. "Anyways… You better start reading, Potter," she briskly said. James felt his heart land in his stomach. _I was so close! _

He reluctantly picked up his book and began to read, but he couldn't concentrate. He started staring at the page blankly. Every once in awhile, he'd glance up at Lily.

The last time he did this, Lily threw her book onto the ground. "Potter! I can't concentrate with you staring at me all the time!" she exclaimed.

"_Sor-ry_, Evans," he cried, throwing his hands up. "And I'm not staring at you! I'm staring at the clock on the wall!" he lied. Lily turned her head to look at the clock behind her.

"Well, if you were _really_ doing that, you would have noticed that it's already ONE IN THE MORNING!" she hollered coldly, scrambling up with her books in her arms. James leapt off the table.

"What!" he yelled, grabbing his book and ruffling his hair again. "Shit!" Lily glared at him frostily.

"I just don't understand how someone as _stupid_ as you became Head Boy," she muttered before leaving the room. James dashed after her.

"Yeah, well, I don't understand why Dumbledore made _you_ Head Girl! You spend half your time with your head buried in a book, you wouldn't notice if someone was getting away with murder right in front of you!" he hissed. He felt a cold hand on his shoulder and froze.

"Well, well, well. What have we here? Two students out of bed at one in the morning? Our Head Boy and Girl, no less. Professor Dumbledore shall hear of this," a voice said. James winced. _Oh boy. Argus Filch. _

A/N: Yep, that's my first chapter! I hope you guys like it! Review and tell me if you think I should continue!


	2. Detention

Disclaimer: Dream on!

**Red-head Hufflepuff attack**: Well, you got to start out the story with some action and drama!

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**Whisper of Sarcasm**: Thanks.

Chapter 2

"Class dismissed. Mr. Potter, Ms. Evans, I'd like a word," Professor McGonagall announced. James smirked at Lily as they walked up to her desk.

"I have been notified that you two were roaming the hallways at one in the morning. Now, our rules clearly state that the Heads have a curfew at 12:00," McGonagall said.

"I'm sorry, Professor. I was having a tutoring session with Potter, and we lost track of time," Lily explained. McGonagall nodded.

"That may be so, but I am afraid I will have to give you two detention. If you could meet Professor Snape in the dungeons at 7:00 tonight. I am afraid, Mr. Potter, that you will have to cancel your Quidditch practice. Professor Snape specifically asked for tonight at seven," she informed them. James scowled.

"But, Professor, the season is just warming up! Our next match is in one week, Gryffindor vrs. Slytherin! We need to practice!" he protested.

"Perhaps you should consider that the next time you go running around past curfew," McGonagall said. "But, for now, I'm afraid you two will have to report to detention tonight."

"This is all your fault," James spat out the minute they were outside. Lily looked taken back. She exhaled loudly.

"My fault? If anything, this was your fault! Your stupid 'Let's Get To Know Each Other' Game screwed up our whole tutoring session!" she declared.

"_You _were supposed to be watching the time! _I_ was busy reading!" James huffed. Lily snorted and rolled her eyes.

"You? Reading? Yeah, sure. That'll be the day," she muttered.

"Evans…" James curtly greeted Lily.

"Potter…" She returned the greeting. James shrugged nonchalantly. "What do you want?" Lily snapped. James looked taken back.

"What? Can't I walk with my favorite tutor?" he asked sweetly. Lily glared at him. James grinned cheekily.

They reached the dungeons without another word. "Mr. Potter, Ms. Evans, please follow me… You two will be organizing my shelves and cleaning my cauldrons. I want each cauldron scrubbed fiercely clean, and you may not use magic for anything, is that understood?" Professor Snape asked. (A/N: Professor Snape is Severus Snape's father). The two nodded.

"Very well. Get to work. I shall be back soon," Snape said. He turned around and left. Lily immediately grabbed a sponge and began scrubbing at a cauldron. James watched her silently before he began to clean out the shelves.

The two worked silently, side by side, before James slyly asked, "Evans, can I borrow your wand?"

"Yeah, sure," she absent-mindedly answered, pulling it out of her back pocket. She froze. "Wait. Why?" James shrugged.

"No reason," he answered, fiddling with a vial of liquid.

"Then… No," she replied, returning to her work. James sighed and pretended to pout. He faked a sniffled and a few chokes.

"Please? I don't have my wand with me. Just one flick and then… we can be done," he said, waving his hands around for emphasis.

"Professor Snape clearly said that this was to be done without magic!" Lily argued. James shrugged casually.

"So what? They always say that. It doesn't mean anything. Besides, he'll never know. We're improving our cleaning spells," he protested. He reached for her wand. Being a good four inches taller than her, he was able to grab it.

"Arfitula!" he cried, pointing to the shelves. They immediately rearranged themselves. "Scorgify!" he yelled, pointing to the cauldrons. They became sparkling clean.

"Oh, God. We're in _so much_ trouble," Lily muttered. Just then, Professor Snape walked back inside. James quickly stuffed the wand into his cloak as Snape eyed the place.

"Done, already? Hmm… Very well then. You may go," he dismissed them. James flashed Lily a smirk, but she was still worried. "Wait, one second!" Snape called after them. Lily froze.

"Told you he'd find out," she whispered out of the corner of her mouth. James paled, biting his lower lip nervously.

"You're curfew is at 12:00 midnight. Do _not_ let us catch you wandering around at night again," Snape finished. They both exhaled their relief and darted out of the room before Snape could say anything else. James snickered as he handed her her wand.

"Oh yeah. We're _really_ gonna get in trouble now, right?"

"You're finally here, Potter," Lily said coldly as James slipped into the Room of Requirement. He raked his fingers through his already messy hair.

"You try escaping a mob of girls!" he declared, grinning proudly as he recalled them swarming around him. Lily looked disgusted. _Gross. Who'd want to mob him? _

"Let me guess. If they were so stupid to actually mob you, they'd have to all be Slytherins!" she shot back sarcastically. She was surprised when James laughed.

"Good thinking, but no," he replied, winking at her. Lily groaned inwardly. _He's such a prick. He thinks the world revolves around him. _

"Just get to work, Potter. Page 75," Lily ordered. James flipped to that page and then scowled. Lily glared at him.

"Come on! This again? We did this the other night!" he complained. Lily looked at him frostily.

"Glad to see you were actually paying attention, Potter. Now, read it!" she commanded. James huffed.

"Can't you just teach me the spell? I bet if you just showed me once, I'd be able to do it just as well as you," he bragged. Lily rolled her eyes. _This'll show him. _

"Fine. _Elcoro derusio_," she said clearly. The small mouse instantly transformed into a white rabbit. She smiled proudly at the sight of it. James scowled.

"I can do that. Watch. _Elcoro derusio_," he said. The mouse immediately became a rabbit. James smirked. Lily frowned and pointed to the fur on his.

"It's the same color as the mouse. It's still a pale-ish color, like a tan. Mine is whiter," she declared. James snorted.

"Are you mental, lady? 'It's not as _white_?' That's probably one of the stupidest things I've ever heard of! Who cares if it's not 'as white'?" he jeered. _Wow. God, she's an over-achiever. A perfectionist. _When he saw the hurt look on her face, he quickly said, "But you got to admit, mine _is_ pretty good." Lily shrugged. James rolled his eyes. _Just like her. Can't admit that someone is just as good as her. _

"Whatever. I, myself, know that I aced this lesson. So, see you later. And you better hurry up. You wouldn't want to be caught by Filch, would you?" he questioned, grinning as he pranced out of the room.

"Hey, Prongs! You know what we forgot to do? We forgot to make that contract for our bet," Sirius said. James wrinkled his nose, and then nodded in agreement.

"Oh yeah. We did. Okay. Where's Moony. He can write it for us. YO! MOONY! Get over here!" James yelled. Remus strolled over with parchment and a quill.

"Ready."

"Good. Okay… How about… 'We Marauders, Padfoot and Prongs, solemnly bet the following: **On March 1st, fellow Gryffindor Lily Evans, must be in love with James 'Prongs' Potter. Sirius 'Padfoot' Black may not do any harm to interfere with any current relationship between Miss Evans and Mr. Potter. James 'Prongs' Potter swears that he will not fall in love with Lily Evans. Thou who does not succeed shall become winner's slave for two weeks and will sacrifice fifteen galleons. **How's that, Moony? Do you have it all?" James recited.

"Yep. Check," he replied. James nodded. Sirius grinned cheekily.

"Get ready, Prongs. I drive my slaves pretty hard!"

A/N: Okay, the next chapter should be more interesting. PLEASE REVIEW!


	3. Quidditch

Disclaimer: Pft. I wish.

**Greengrl**: Thank you. Keep reading!

**Jadecowan2**: Yay? Okay, thanks.

**Tanya J. Potter**: Oh yeah, did I forget to mention that? I'll have to put that in…

**Moon**: Thank you. I will!

**Fred+GeorgeLover**: Thanks. I'll try to update as fast as I can, but I'm currently writing another fanfic at the same time so it might take a while to write the chaps.

**Hazeled eye marauder**: Dirty? Lol. Thanks.

**Apotterlover**: Thank you! Yep, I'm gonna keep this story!

**Fading dusk**: Thanks. Keep reading!

Chapter 3…

"POTTER! Pay attention!" Lily snapped. James glanced up in annoyance. He stared at her dully.

"What?" he questioned, clearly aggravated. He ruffled his hair _again. _Lily sighed in exasperation. _That must have been the fifth time he did that in the last two minutes!_

"I'm supposed to be _tutoring_ you, but how can I _tutor_you when you keep fooling around with that Snitch!" she yelled. James raised an eyebrow.

"Calm down, Evans. It's quite boring, listening to you read. Besides, we've gone through this chapter in the first lesson, the second lesson _and _this lesson! You'd think it would get pretty dull after a while. Instead of reading, why don't we _transfigure_ stuff. Is _is_ called Transfiguration, isn't it?"

"If you're so caught up in that Snitch, why don't you go fly on your broomstick? It seems to be the only thing you're good at, besides causing trouble," Lily retorted. James paused as an idea struck him. _What can it hurt? I'm not getting anywhere in this bet, anyways. _

"You know what, Evans? That's a damn good idea. And you're coming with me," he declared. Lily froze.

"Excuse me?" Grinning, James grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the room and outside. "No! Wait! Potter, stop! What do you think you're doing!" she howled.

"Sheesh, quiet down, Evans. I'm just gonna teach you how to fly," James explained. Lily's eyes widened in fear.

"Oh, no… I don't fly," she said, backing away slowly. James pretended to pout.

"Aww, come on. It's not that bad, Evans. It's actually pretty fun. And I'll be there the whole time. Nothing's gonna happen," he wheedled. Lily shook her head.

"Now way. No way I'm getting on a stick and trusting it to support me. Isn't that kinda uncomfortable?" she asked.

"Hmph. Uncomfortable? Try being a guy and doing it," James grumbled. He held out his hand for Lily. "Please, Evs? Please?" Lily stared at his hand. Then, cautiously, she placed hers into his. James broke into a grin.

"Okay, sit in the back first, just to get the experience of flying." He climbed on and motioned for her to sit behind him. Lily hesitantly swung one leg over. "Good… Now, wrap your arms around me."

"POTTER!" Lily screeched.

"Hey, would you rather fall and split your head open?" he demanded.

"No, but I rather not do this at all," she muttered, but she loosely put her arms around his waist. Without warning, James kicked off the ground. "POTTER!" Lily hollered. James whooped with delight.

"Isn't this fun?" he shouted. He flew higher and higher, circling the Quidditch hoops. "See, Evans? You got to learn to live a little or you'll never enjoy life. Be a rebel," James advised playfully. Lily had to admit; she was having fun. James soared higher. Then, all of a sudden, he took a nosedive down to the ground.

"POTTER!" she roared. Just as they were about to hit the ground, James turned up, their feet skimming the ground. "God," Lily panted. "Well, that was better than I expected."

"Good. Because you're going to ride your own broomstick now," James said casually. Lily froze. She stared at him. _He's kidding right? Me, ride my own broom? I'd crash and fall and burn and DIE!_ James quickly brought out another broom. "Okay, get on." Lily obeyed.

"You sure about this, Potter?" she asked, staring at his sparkling hazel eyes. They flashed once and he shook his head.

"No, but we're going to do it anyway… Are you ready? Okay, grip the broom tightly. Now, kick off from the ground!" They both flew into the air at the same time. "Be gentle with it. That broom will go pretty fast with just the slightest touch. Let your instincts guide the broom."

They began to fly around the Quidditch pitch. "Isn't this fun?" James called out. He began to fly faster and higher and was quite surprised when Lily followed him. Circling the outside of the pitch, he turned his head and saw Lily, twisting around the hoops. Flying back to her, he yelled, "Hey, let's race!"

"Are you kidding? Me, against the Quidditch star? Yeah right!" she yelled back, but she followed him to the hoops.

"Okay, fly to the hoops, zig-zag through, then make a U-turn and come back. Whoever does that first wins," James said, pointing across the pitch. Lily nodded. "Ready? Set… GO!" They took off quickly. James had to admit, Lily was pretty fast. She was only a few feet behind him as he circled around the hoops and came back.

Suddenly, she leaned to the right as she made another turn and rolled over… right off the broom. She felt the air rushing around her, the exhileration of it all. Then, fear overcame her body, and she let out a blood-curdling, ear-shattering scream.

James froze in his spot, unable to move as he watched her plummet towards the earth. Then, as he realized what was happening, he sharply jerked his broom towards Lily. He leaned forward, urging the stick forward. His heart had been pounding against his ribcage, but now it seemed to have stopped altogether. Time seemed to freeze as she plunged dangerously toward the ground.

Lily squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for her legs to hit the ground and crumple beneath her. All of a sudden, a pair of strong arms warpped around her. James. He brough her to his chest as they landed, James hitting the ground first.

_**THUMP!**_

There was a sickening thud, followed by silence. James quickly rolled away from her and lifted her into his arms, staring into her face.

Her eyes slowly opened, and she blinked once. Then, she swiftly wrapped her arms around him. "Oh, God, James…" she murmured. James pulled her onto his lap and held her. Without even realizing it, he carefully pressed his lips against hers.

It was a sweet kiss. His tongue skimmed her lower lip, and her lips parted slightly. Their tongues danced. His lips were warm and soft. That's when realization hit him. It dawned on him. _Lord, she called me by my first name… _

A/N: I know, that was a short chapter, and cheesy too, but oh well. Please review!


	4. Julie

Disclaimer: Do I look like J.K. Rowling to you?

**Clare**: Thanks. Glad you like it.

**Greengrl**: Thank you! Sweet! Exactly what I was aiming for! Bullseye!

**Beastgurl7492**: Okay! And thanks!

**Apotterlover**: Short, huh? Ya, I'll try to make them longer. But I thought that it was a good cutoff point.

**Lyss**: Thanks. I will!

**J-R-S CRAZY**: Sure. Right away. And, I know that Lily has green eyes, but why can't James have green eyes too? And, Professor Snape is Severus Snape's father. Their father-son relationship has something to do with the story.

**Optical Illusions**: I know that Lily has green eyes, but why can't James have green eyes too? And Professor Snape is Severus Snape's dad. The father-son relationship has something to do with the story. I said that in my Author's Note. Sheesh. Besides, this is _my_ fanfic and the point of having a fanfic is to write about your own stuff! (I'm in a bad mood today, okay?)

**Fred+GeorgeLover**: Makes you go all tingly? Lol, oookaaay…

**SuZeSiMoNwriter**: Flipping cute? I'm gonna take that as a compliment.

**Confusedthoughts**: So you found my second fanfic. "Not that bad actually…"? Coming from you, I think that's a compliment. And I need Lily to have _at least_ one wizard parent in this fanfic cuz… well, let's just say I have an idea.

**HPfanatic53072**: James Harold? Oh well. What's done is what's done.

**Lyn**: Okay, first of all, I know Lily has green eyes. But I want James to have green eyes too! It just doesn't sound right when you say, "Look how brown his eyes are." And I need Lily to be a half-blood because of this idea I have for my story. But thank you anyways for your advice.

**Tinkerbelldetention101**: Yes, I know that, but it sounds better if Lily says "Look how green his eyes are" rather than "Look how brown his eyes are." It just doesn't sound romantic.

**Elizabeth Denver**: Lol, magical? Okay!

**Greengrl**: Well, I guess you'll have to wait.

**Cookiegirl190**: Okay, that is so insulting! I _just_ started reading Lily/James fanfics, okay? And now your telling me that I'm plagiarizing? I'm not, okay! Do you know how many times an idea has been used? There are millions of ppl that write fanfics, and it's almost impossible to create a new idea! So, I'd like it if you'd not tell me that I can get arrested, k? It's not really helping me write the story. And I explained that Professor Snape is Severus Snape's dad!

**Beastgurl7492**: Yeah, thanks. An angry mob chasing me? I better update NOW.

**Lilactouch**: Is that a good "Aw" or a bad one?

Chapter 4…

James slowly drew away from the kiss. _Merlin, look at how green her eyes are now… I mean, but, it's nothing special, of course. A lot of people have green eyes._ He forced himself to tear his gaze away from her.

"Uhh… I… I have t-to go… stuff I gotta do and…" Lily stammered. She leapt off of him and slowly backed away. James froze. _Oh God, what do I do now? _

"Wait… Lil – Evans, hold on. Uhh… I'm sorry about that… I don't know what happened. I'm really sorry," he apologized as sincerely as possible, jumping up to catch up with her. Lily paused. She swallowed hard, her face turning a deep red.

"It's… It's okay," she said dumbly. _What a stupid thing to say! I could have been nicer, or… or I could have apologized too! _James bit his lower lip and stared into her eyes, trying to guess what she was thinking. She hurriedly began walking towards the castle. James rushed to keep up with her.

"Are… are you okay?" he questioned, his face filled with concern. Lily blushed. _Do I look okay? You just kissed me! That's every other girl's dream! Am I supposed to be okay! _"Are you in pain… or sore or anything?" he continued. Lily realized that he was talking about her fall.

"Oh… Yeah, I'm fine. I'll be okay," she muttered, unable to look him in the eye.She walked faster, but James ambled along easily.

"Hey, you're coming to the Quidditch game on Saturday, right?" James randomly inquired. Lily nodded. "Oh, good… We're against Hufflepuff, so it should be a fairly easy match." Lily frowned at that comment. _That wasn't very nice. Hufflepuff is just as good as Gryffindor. _

Fortunately, they made it all the way to their dorm without another word and without anyone seeing them. James muttered the password, "Broomsticks," and they entered the common room. James lightly took her hand and led her to her room, placing her on the bed.

"Good night," he whispered softly. Then, to leave her in shock, he placed a gentle kiss on her cheek before leaving the room, grinning. "Sweet dreams!" Lily lay there, frozen, her eyes wide. _Merlin, did he just kiss me… again?_

James strolled into the Gryffindor common room happily. "EVERYONE, GET OUT! OR I'LL DEDUCT TEN POINTS FROM EVERY PERSON REMAINNG!" he hollered. The kids scrambled out into their rooms. Only Sirius, Remus and a scrawny admirer, Peter Pettigrew, remained. Remus frowned.

"You know, James, I don't think that's part of your privilege," he said. James snorted and shrugged nonchalantly. Remus rolled his eyes and returned to his book. James smirked at Sirius.

"Padfoot, I'm afraid you're losing our little bet," James announced gleefully. There was a slight rustle, and he scowled at the corner. "PRIVATE CONVERSATION! ANYONE CAUGHT LISTENING WILL HAVE FIFTY POINTS TAKEN AWAY FROM THEIR HOUSE." Several children darted away. "And, shut it Moony. I don't care if Dumbledore wants me to do this or not," James added. Remus closed his mouth and went back to his book.

"I'm losing the bet? Oh? Is that so? How?" Sirius inquired innocently, going back to what James had said before. James smirked. _Oh, I can't wait to see the expression on his face when I tell him…_

"Well, it just so happens, that I saved Evans' life yesterday," he declared. Sirius' jaw dropped. Peter looked impressed. Even Remus managed to tear his eyes away from his book.

"Holy crap, man! Are you serious? Damn, you sure move fast, Prongs? How the hell did that happen?" Sirius exclaimed. James held up a hand for silence.

"That's not all, fellow Marauders. We even… kissed…" A gasp escaped Peter. "Twice," James bragged proudly. He conveniently 'forgot' to mention that the second kiss was just a little peck on the cheek. Sirius swallowed hard and sank lower in his chair.

"Wow, James, you really _are_ the man!" Peter squeaked. Normally, James would have been annoyed at the boy, but he just grinned arrogantly. Remus frowned.

"I don't think that you guys should keep this bet," he put in. Sirius looked at him as if he were crazy. James snickered.

"Yeah, Moony is right. Now that I've got this bet sealed and labled, there's now point in continuing," James agreed, totally missing the point. Remus rolled his eyes.

"It's not that, Prongs. I think you guys should stop and forget about this whole thing. So, you've proved your point that you can have any girl you want. But, seriously. How would Lily feel if she found out?" Remus pointed out. James shrugged.

"Should I care? Besides, Moony, why do you want to quit now? You were all for it just yesterday. Hell, you even suggested our rewards if we win," James said. Remus sighed and tsked.

"I know, I know… But… Wouldn't you feel even the smallest bit guilty if Lily found out?" he queried. James furrowed his eyebrow. _Yeah, I guess I would…_

"James wouldn't feel guilty! He'd just laugh and walk away!" Peter cried, beaming at him. James stared at him blankly. _Would I really… With any other girl, duh, yeah, but if it was _Lil - Evans_, would I?_

Suddenly, he turned around and walked right out of the common room, the other three staring after him in surprise.

After dinner, there was still an hour before her tutoring session so Lily dragged herself back to the common room. _Oh Lord, I hope Potter isn't there. That would be so embarrassing after… what happened last night._

She muttered the password and froze. Sure enough, James was there. He was lying on the couch, his eyes closed. Lily slowly tip-toed towards him. _Is he… really sleeping? Or is he faking it?_ She stared at him. _Gosh, he looks so calm and innocent when he's sleeping. _She absent-mindedly reached out and, brushing her fingers across his arm, moved her hand up to finger his hair slightly. James stirred, but remained sleeping. Lily jerked her hand back. _What am I doing!_ _But he _does_ have really soft hair… _

Quietly, she laced her fingers into his and ran her other hand up and down his arm slowly. When she looked up, she realized that James was staring at her intently, his eyes sparkling. She froze. _Oh my God! What do I do? This is so embarrassing! _They continued staring at each other.

"Uhh… I wanted to tell you that we should probably begin our tutoring session now… 'cause we have a lot of stuff to do," Lily lied, turning a bright red. James nodded.

"Okay… sure," he replied good-naturedly, trying not hard to snicker. Lily paused, and then realized that he was waiting for her to move. She jerked her hand back and rapidly got up. James sat up. "I'll meet you in the Room of Requirement, okay? I have to wash and stuff," he explained. Lily nodded and darted out of the room as fast as she could.

She turned into the Room of Requirement and sank down onto one of the cushions on the floor. _Oh, Merlin, that was so humiliating! I wonder how long he was watching me. I wonder if he could tell that I was lying… Sheesh, I'm a horrible liar! Why did I… touch him? I can barely stand to be in the same room as him!_ She groaned and tossed her head back against the wall. _Boy, I'm a real idiot…_

She suddenly shot up. _I forgot to bring my books, and I left my wand on the common room table!_ Without another thought, she dashed out of the room and headed back to the common room.

James grinned to himself as he splashed water on her face. _Evans just lied to me! And it was because she was caught _touching _me! Lily Evans, of all people! Boy, wait 'til I tell Padfoot and Moony. _

He quickly dried his face and strolled out of the room, a smile practically crushing his face. The minute he left the room, though, he bumped into… Julie Prytian, a Slytherin, also known as the school slut. Julie smiled broadly at him, an evil smirk much like Lucius Malfoy's, James noticed. "Excuse me," he quickly apologized, trying to side-step her, but she continued to block him. James became irritated. "I have to go somewhere!"

Julie leaned close to him and whispered hauntingly in his ear, "You know, I don't normally date Gryffindors, but I think I can make an exception." James stiffened as she began to rock back and forth gently in what was a pathetic attempt to look sexy . He took a step back and declared loudly,

"Well, you know, I don't normally date Slytherins, no exceptions." Julie looked shocked. She opened her mouth, faltered, and then spat out,

"You'll be sorry, Potter! I offered you a chance, and you turn me down! I'm trying to save you from that little mudblood who doesn't even deserve to have the title of a witch!" James clenched his fists together.

"Oh, I can make an exception. I can. Normally, I don't hit girls, but I can make an exception… You're lucky I re-thought that and decided not to, because you'd otherwise be flat on your back right now. I don't want to hear you talking about her again, got it?" he threatened. Julie trembled slightly, but held her guard.

"Don't play games with me, Potter. I saw you two. I saw you carrying her up from outside. Don't go through those foolish antics with me. She's just trying to sleep with you – like any other mudblood. That's all they care about. I'd watch my step if I were you, Potter," she snarled.

"Luckily, you aren't. FYI, it was my idea to carry her. Lily Evans would never try to got someone to sleep with her. She doesn't need to be like that – she's better than that. Don't you dare call her a mudblood again, got it Prytian? Mudblood or pureblood, she'll always be better than you. You're just jealous. Jealous because you'll never be as beautiful as she is!" James shot back. Julie's eyes widened.

"Jealous of a mudblood? If you think I'd sink that low, then -," she began, but James cut her off angrily.

"Who cares if she's muggleborn, a halfblood, a pureblood! Who gives a damn anymore? Nobody can tell the difference anyway! She's got more magic flowing in her blood than any pureblood – especially you! She can do much more with her wand than any Malfoy or any Potter can do! Even more than a Prytian!" he cried.

"You have a lot of nerve, Potter, insulting my family. Even _comparing _me to a mudblood. I'm a pureblood, just as pure as a Malfoy. Why defend a mere _mudblood_?" she growled. James stood up taller and glared at Julie.

"I warned you not to call her that, and I'm not going to warn you again. As pure as a Malfoy!" he scoffed. "There's no such thing! There's no pure type of blood, no dirty blood. Nothing. We're all the same. We all have magic coursing through our veins. She's not a mudblood, either! She's Lily Evans, nothing else!"

Julie opened her mouth and closed it, opened it again and then closed it. She finally just glared at him and walked away. James leaned back against the wall and shut his eyes. _Holy crap, I just defended Lily Evans…_

Lily froze in her tracks when she heard yelling around the corridor. _Sheesh. Are Wolf Carson and Katie Vardy at it again? All they do is fight, break-up then get back together and have a roll in bed! I have to take off house points now. I warned them about disrupting people before. _

She ducked her head around the bend and blinked. _Merlin, it's Potter and… Julie Prytian?_ _What's she doing here?_

"… I'd watch my step if I were you, Potter," she heard Julie say. Lily quickly hid herself from view and listened anxiously. _What's going on?_

"Luckily, you aren't. FYI, it was my idea to carry her. Lily Evans (Lily gasped. _They're talking about me!) _would never try to got someone to sleep with her. She doesn't need to be like that – she's better than that. Don't you dare call her a mudblood again, got it Prytian? Mudblood or pureblood, she'll always be better than you. You're just jealous. Jealous because you'll never be as beautiful as she is!" James said. Lily had to bite her tongue to keep from gasping. _Since when does James Potter support me? And when does he call me _beautiful

"Jealous of a mudblood? If you think I'd sink that low, then -," Julie started, but James interrupted her, shaking with anger.

"Who cares if she's muggle-born, a halfblood, a pureblood! Who gives a damn anymore? Nobody can tell the difference anyway! She's got more magic flowing in her blood than any pureblood – especially you! She can do much more with her wand than any Malfoy or any Potter can do! Even more than a Prytian!" he cried. Lily swallowed hard. _Potter does have more sense than he shows._

"You have a lot of nerve, Potter, insulting my family. Even _comparing _me to a mudblood. I'm a pureblood, just as pure as a Malfoy. Why defend a mere mudblood?" she growled. Lily felt her blood boil. James stood up taller and glared at Julie.

"I warned you not to call her that, and I'm not going to warn you again. As pure as a Malfoy!" he scoffed. "There's no such thing! There's no pure type of blood, no dirty blood. Nothing. We're all the same. We all have magic coursing through our veins. She's not a mudblood, either! She's Lily Evans, nothing else!" Lily couldn't help but grin.

Julie opened her mouth and closed it, opened it again and then closed it. She finally just glared at him and walked away. Lily blinked rapidly. _… What just happened?_


	5. Caught on Tape

Disclaimer: Of course it's mine!

A thanks to:

**Jadecowan2**

**Hpfanatic53072**

**XXRoseDawsonXX**

**Justmaybe **(thnx so much!)

**Elizabeth Denver**

**Finalfan17**

**Fred+GeorgeLover**

**Andy Gayle**

**Hazeled Eye Marauder**

**Apotterlover**

Chapter 5

Lily scrambled into the common room. "Hey, Evans, where have you been?" James asked nonchalantly, fiddling with his wand. Lily paused to catch her breath.

"I, uhh, left some of my stuff on the common room table by accident," she explained hastily, blushing. James nodded, his brow furrowed. _Please don't tell me she heard my fight with Prytian! Because, oh Lord, that is embarrassing! But she had to have walked by to have gotten to the common room… Why didn't I meet her on the way?_

"Potter!" Lily snapped. James realized that she had been calling his name for a while. He blinked and grinned weakly.

"Sorry. I was just, er, thinking…" he muttered. Lily rolled her eyes.

"That's good to hear. Try doing it more often, like now, for instance," she sarcastically replied. To her surprise, James laughed. She raised an eyebrow. _What is going on here?_

Chuckling, James shook his head and said, "Okay, let's get started. Are we turning mice into rabbits again?" Lily blinked and shook her head.

"Uhh… no. Actually, I figured we might as well try something new," she replied, shrugging casually. A slow smirk crept onto James' face. He gazed at her in a funny way. "What?"

"My rabbit _was_ good enough! It _was_ just as white as yours!" he accused. Lily stared at him questioningly, but a smile slid onto her face too. She quickly ducked down to hide it. "Told you!" James cried.

"Okay, it _was_ pretty good… Not as good as mine, of course, but still pretty good," Lily admitted, blushing a deep red. James rolled his eyes.

"Right… _Never _could it be as good as yours!" he sarcastically joked. "And you say _I _have a big ego!" Lily grinned sheepishly, and then said,

"You do, though." James gave her a scolding look.

"My dear Lily, don't meddle in things you don't know about. If you had a face like mine, it would be hard to control your ego too. In fact, my ego is small compared to what yours would be like if you looked like me. Luckily, you don't," he kidded. Lily rolled her eyes.

"Who has the big ego now?" James grinned cheekily. "Okay, we're going to be turning rabbits into puppies. The key is that you have to get their color to change too. The rabbits are white to begin with. You want the puppy to turn into a golden color."

"So, could I just focus on getting mine to change to a golden retriever, or something like that?" James asked. Lily nodded.

"Okay, the incantation is _Puricala Rewiffa_," Lily explained. She opened a cage and took out pure white rabbit. Muttering the spell, she flicked her wand and the rabbit immediately transformed into a golden retriever. She gazed at it proudly.

"Sounds easy enough," James scoffed nonchalantly, playing with the fuzz on his robes. Lily glared at him. She sniffed the air importantly and said,

"Well, for your information, this is a difficult spell. Most people don't cover this until their seventh year is half over." James shrugged.

"I can see why. When would it come in handy to turn a rabbit into a dog? Besides, if most people don't do this 'til the term is half over, why are we covering it now?" he questioned innocently. Lily shot him dagger eyes.

"That's not important. Work on the spell," she ordered. James sighed, pulled out his wand, and carefully took a rabbit out of a cage. Lily, meanwhile, took out a book and began to read. James worked silently for ten minutes. Finally, he interrupted the silence.

"Evans?" he inquired tentatively. Lily didn't budge. "Evans?" he repeated, raising his voice slightly. Lily slammed her book down on the table.

"What!" she snapped. James froze. _Uh oh? Why did I call her in the first place? Shoot. _He smiled at her and said the first thing that came to his mind.

"Why do you hate me?"

Hehe, I was going to cut the chapter off right here, but, because I'm nice (remember that everyone!) I decided that I'll continue!

Lily's mind stopped for a second. Her heart started pounding against her ribcage like a hammer. _Why _do_ I hate him?_ A sickening thought fell over her. _Oh God. _Do_ I hate him?_

"Because… Because you're an annoying, obnoxious, arrogant prat," she spluttered. She thought she saw James' face fall, but maybe she imagined it, because, a second later, the same smirk was still on his face.

"Well, uhh, it's all part of my charm," he stuttered shakily, and turned back around. Once his face was out of view, the smile immediately slipped off his face. He was crestfallen. _She really _does_ hate me. I thought… it was just a joke, or something. Hate. Wow. _

Lily stared at the back of James' head. _I cannot believe I just said that! He can be sweet and – and nice and funny and –… _She sadly shook her head. _And, yet, I always say that I hate him…_

Lily scrambled into the Gryffindor common room and was immediately engulfed by friends. "Lily! We haven't seen you in _ages_!" Katie Wentren exclaimed, leaping out of one of the chairs. The rest of her friends followed.

"Sorry," Lily apologized sheepishly. "I've been really busy with… stuff." Emily Drasenger grinned and handed her a butterbeer.

"We're having a little party, have some. And of course you've been busy. We've all been expecting that. You're Head Girl… How's James been treating you?" she asked innocently, leading everyone over to a couch in the middle of the common room. Lily choked on her butterbeer.

"What!"

She glared at her friends as they began to laugh. "Sorry, Lily. But James Potter is like…" Emily's voice trailed off.

"Really hot," Lucy Krustow finished. Lily snorted.

"Very subtle, Luce. But you guys all know what I think about him," Lily said. _Do _I _even know what I think about him? _Katie rolled her eyes and muttered,

"Yes, we do. You think he's -,"

"An annoying, conceited, stupid, ugly, detestable, intolerable asshole," everyone chorused. Lily smirked, but really, her hear sank to her stomach. _Oh Lord, did I say that before?_

Suddenly, the portrait opened and in pranced Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. Peter was looking awfully shifty. Sirius immediately struck up a conversation about Quidditch.

"So, Gryffindor will obviously beat Hufflepuff. Then, if we beat Ravenclaw, we'll be in second place. We just have to beat Slytherin after that and the Quidditch Cup will be ours for the sixth year in a row!" Sirius said loudly. "No surprise, of course. We've been winning every year that James has been on our team!"

Lily glared at them suspiciously. Lupin glanced over at her, and then shuffled over to a private table in the corner. Everyone remained silent as Sirius bent his head over and began whispering privately to his friends. Lily thought she saw Peter's eyes dart over to her a couple times.

When they finally got up, they walked over to them. Sirius grinned at them and leaned against the couch. "Hi, Evans. How ya doing? How are those _tutoring sessions_ with James going?" he said innocently. Lily blushed a deep red as those words struck of the memory of what had happened.

"I'm surprised to see that Potter isn't prancing around with you. Has he ditched you guys for a new posse because you guys aren't cool enough?" Lily shot back. Peter looked angry, but Sirius looked only mildly interested. He leaned against the couch nonchalantly.

"So, Lily, did you enjoy James' _ride on his broomstick_?" Sirius said innocently. Katie stared at Lily in shock, looking both disgusted and impressed. Lily was stunned. _How can he say that! How can he hint stuff like that! He knows perfectly well that it was a ride on his broomstick, not… ugh. _Lily decided to play along with the "game" Sirius had started.

"Oh, I think _he went a little too fast _for my liking," she retorted. Emily spat out her butterbeer. Sirius looked surprised at her repartee, but regained his composure. He nodded.

"James told me how you guys were _whooping _and _screaming_ since it was _so much fun_," he said knowingly, winking. Lily was appalled, but refused to show it. Lucy looked horrified.

"It wasn't bad. James wanted to go _faster and faster_, though. I suppose you've ridden on his _broomstick_ before, right?" she said, trying to hide a smirk. Katie was turning a deathly white. Peter's mouth was twitching. Lupin looked like he was trying to decide whether to laugh or scowl.

"Nah, it's too precious to James. He'd never let me touch it. But I've seen it before. It's _nice and long_," Sirius replied. He spun around and left, Peter and Lupin following him.

"What was that!" Emily shrieked the minute they were gone. Katie was breathing heavily. Lucy's face was white. "Did you guys-?" Lily snickered.

"No, of course not! You know how much I despise him. He just skipped a tutoring session and let me ride his broom," she said casually. She was met by a silence. Eventually, Katie's breathing returned to normal. Lucy's face turned back to its original color.

"Oh… _Oh_! Whew. I was going to say…" Emily sighed, her voice trailing off. She sounded relieved. Lily looked at her curiously.

"_What_ were you going to say?" she asked sharply. Katie and Lucy exchanged a meaningful glance and they burst out laughing. Emily turned a bright red.

"Well… I was going to ask… if he was good in the sack," she muttered. Lily looked positively disgusted. She opened her mouth to speak, but was speechless.

"But, honestly, Lily. How can you hate him? We'd all die for a chance to share a private common room with him," Emily sighed dreamily. Lily sniffed the air, annoyed.

"I'll trade rooms anytime, trust me. I don't see what you guys see in him. He's not even hot to begin with," Lily pointed out. Lucy groaned and rolled her eyes.

"Fine, then, Lils. Whatever… He's still number one on our Hottest Guys Chart," she muttered. Lily snorted into her butterbeer and began coughing loudly.

"You – you have a _Hottest Guys Chart_?" she demanded, sputtering noisily. Emily and Katie exchanged a smirk. "And _James Potter_ is number one! Who are you comparing him to – Severus Snape?"

Emily snickered. "Severus Snape, yeah right. With hair that greasy and that git of a father… No, we were comparing him to some of the good ones here." Trying to look uninterested, Lily questioned,

"Who got number two?" Katie, Emily and Lucy glanced at each other and then burst into a fit of giggles. Lily looked at them curiously.

"Sirius Black," they chanted, sighing passionately. Lily was disgusted.

"And number three?" she asked, not even sure if she wanted to know. The girls glanced at each other and said nonchalantly,

"Amos Diggory." Lily looked stunned. They started giggling again.

"_James-Potter-beat-Amos-Diggory_!" Lily cried. "Compared to him, James Potter looks like a slug!" Lucy and Emily glanced at each other knowingly.

"Ooh… So you got it for Diggory, right?" Katie squealed. Lily blushed furiously. It was true, she _had_ been attracted to Diggory, but she hadn't given a thought to him since… the first tutoring session with James.

"I haven't 'got it' for Diggory. I just think he's much more decent than Potter," she snarled. Emily rolled her eyes.

"Denial, denial, not gonna get you anywhere," she murmured.

"I'm not in -," Lily began hotly.

Emily continued, "Besides, Diggory's too… soft. James has that whole bad boy vibe going through him." She nearly swooned.

"As much as I'd like to sit here and discuss Potter's 'bad-boy look', I have a Heads meeting with Professor McGonagall," Lily said dryly. She finished up her butterbeer. "I'll see you guys later."

"Prongs!" Sirius hollered. James' head shot up. "Oi, Prongs, over here, mate! We've got something to show you!" James strolled over to their table and ssank into a chair.

"What?"

"Look at this," Sirius muttered, jabbing at a small screen. "Lily was in the common room with her friends. Listen, we taped her whole conversation, although some of it includes parts where me and Moony and Wormtail were in it. We hid a camera on the sofa when we were talking to them. You can watch it here, from this screen."

"Procatus," Lupin murmured, pointing his wand at the screen. "So it won't go beserk with all the magic floating in the air," he quickly explained. Sirius turned on the screen.

_Sirius, Lupin and Peter were crowded around the couch where Lily, Katie, Emily and Lucy were sitting. _

_**Sirius** – "Hi, Evans. How ya doing?How are those _tutoring sessions _with James going?" _

_**Lily** – "I'm surprised to see that Potter isn't prancing around with you. Has he ditched you guys for a new posse because you guys aren't cool enough?"_

_**Sirius **– "So, Lily, did you enjoy James' _ride on his broomstick_?"_

"Oh my Lord, you didn't! Padfoot! We agreed that you wouldn't interfere with our relationship!" James screeched. Sirius shushed him.

"Shut up. I didn't really interfere. Just watch."

_**Lily** – "Oh, I think _he went a little too fast _for my liking." _

James smirked at her witty comment.

_**Sirius **– "James told me how you guys were _whooping _and _screaming_ since it was _so much fun."

James moaned. "Sirius, you asshole…"

_**Lily** – "It wasn't bad. James wanted to go_ faster and faster, _though. I suppose you've ridden on his broomstick before, right?"_

_**Sirius **– "_Nah_, it's too precious to James. He'd never let me touch it. But I've seen it before. It's_ nice and long_."_

James looked insulted. "Si-ri-us! God! You're not supposed to know this stuff!" Lupin snickered.

James watched in awe as the rest of the tape went on. However, when they reached the part about him being number one on the chart, he couldn't help smirking. "Hear, hear. No objections there," he called out. Sirius smirked when he heard that he was number two.

"Good enough for me," he said, grinning. Just then, Lily began talking about Diggory. The smirk was wiped off James' face. He stared at the screen, breathing heavily. The movie wrapped up, and the screen went black. James ruffled his hair.

"Oh boy… This isn't good…"


	6. Hogsmeade

Disclaimer: No.

Thanks to:

**Hazeled eye marauder**

**Justmaybe **(wow thnx so much)

**Zandra Phillips** (Uhh… thnx? That sounded really poetic)

**Jadecowan2**

**Confusedthoughts** (bcuz there aren't going to be many humorous parts, I wuz just in a humorous mood)

**Apotterlover**

**Greengrl**

**Fred+GeorgeLover**

**Lnk **

**MajorFanFic**

**SingdownthemoonHorselvr**

**XXRoseDawsonXX**

**Nothinrunlikeadeere**

**DrAcO4meplz** (its just that I'm writing a different story at the same time and I'm updating by alternating stories so it takes awhile)

**Romancelover**

**Maniac Masey 013** (I'm a little too young to be doing that…)

James slapped 15 shiny galleons into Sirius' hands. Sirius' eyes widened. "Fifteen galleons! Did I loan you money once, or something?" he exclaimed. James shook his head sadly.

"No… Those are from the bet," he muttered, turning to walk away. Sirius scrunched up his eyes.

"You're not giving in now, are you! James Potter, give up!" he demanded, half joking, half serious. James couldn't meet his eyes. He turned slightly to walk away.

"Wait until I tell everyone. Their hero, James Potter, gave up? He _lost_? Wow, this will be a shock!" Sirius said loudly. James froze. "Some people would say that he's being _wimpy. _But, I dunno, I guess," Sirius continued.

James clenched his fists together. _What's the point? It's not like I have anything to lose… I just give up fifteen galleons later. At least it won't hurt my reputation. _He groaned inwardly. "I effin hate you," he growled. Sirius grinned.

"I know. It's all a part of my charm."

"Or lack of it," James muttered. _This is so stupid. Why did I let Sirius convince me? Either way, I'm going to lose! _ He absent-mindedly stomped out of the room.

"James… hi," Lily quietly greeted him. James glanced up. The beginnings of a smile crept onto his face. The corners of his mouth twitched. Then, just as suddenly, it was gone.

"Hello," he said coldly. Lily looked shocked and disappointed. James immediately felt bad. _It's not her fault she likes Diggory and not me. I shouldn't take it out on her…_ "So, what's up?" he added, trying to sound politer.

"Well, Professor McGonagall said that, as Heads, we have to enter the Halloween Ball together. We'll be leading the first dance. Then we can just hang out with other people," Lily reported nervously. James' heart leapt with excitement. "We should start getting ready soon."

"Sure. We can stop by Hogsmeade tomorrow," he replied, trying to sound nonchalant. Inside, he was burning with excitement.

"Right. Sure." With that, she left. James sank back against the couch. He closed his eyes. _This is going to be great…_

"Hey, Lily!" a voice called out. Lily turned around and was nearly attacked by Katie. "Oh my God, you will not believe who just asked me to the Halloween Ball!"

"Who?"

"_Sirius Black!"_ Katie was nearly hysterical. Lily raised an eyebrow.

"So…?"

"What?"

"Did you say yes!" Lily demanded. Katie stared at Lily as if the answer was clear. She threw her hands up into the air.

"What kind of person doesn't say yes!" she cried. Lily groaned. "This is Sirius Black we are talking about! Remember, number two? And he _asked me to the ball_!"

"Whatever."

"So, who are you going with? _Are_ you going with anyone?" Katie asked curiously. Lily blushed a deep red.

"Oh. It's… nobody. Just Potter," she muttered. Katie squealed. "But only because Dumbledore made us go together. We're just leading the first dance, actually," Lily quickly added. Katie looked on the verge of fainting.

"Oh… My… Lord! James Potter! That so beats Sirius Black! I'd die if I could go with him!" she shrieked. Lily rolled her eyes.

"I don't see what's so special about him. He's such an arrogant prat," she commented. This time, Katie rolled her eyes.

"He is so _hot_! Trust me. One day, you'll understand." Lily desperately wanted to change the subject.

"So, Potter and I are going to Hogsmeade tomorrow to pick out a costume and stuff. Wanna come with me?" she offered. Katie moaned.

"Do I ever! I'm so jealous! James Potter! How can you stand it? I'd be dying right now!" Lily sighed.

"Katie. Get over it."

"So… do you want to go in costume?" Lily asked. James shrugged.

"Well, it's a Halloween Ball. We might as well get in the spirit. Besides, it's more fun if we dress up," he concluded. Lily nodded.

"Okay, then. What do you want to dress up as?" she questioned. James shrugged again and ruffled his hair.

"You can pick." Lily bit her lip and pondered for a moment. Her eyes lit up.

"I've got a perfect idea."

(A/N: Just to let you know, I have no idea what the "perfect idea" is. So, if any of you want to help out and give a suggestion, please do!)

James and Lily came bursting back into Hogwarts, lugging many bags with them. They were both laughing and grinning. Suddenly, James froze as a voice echoed throughout the hall.

"Hey, Prongs!" Sirius come strutting over as if he owned the place. Inside, James was fuming at his friend's timing, but he didn't show it.

"Padfoot… Great to see you," he strained. Sirius grinned and then glanced at Lily He nodded and bowed.

"Pleasure to see you here, Miss Evans." He grinned cheekily. Lily rolled her eyes.

"Yes… I'm sure it is," she muttered. She resumed walking. James hopped a couple steps to keep up with her. Sirius, however, pushed his way in between them. James glared at him.

"Is there something you wanted, Padfoot?" he said, trying hard to sound normal and calm. Sirius, however, shook his head and continued along with them.

"Nope. Just enjoying the fine day, as I'm sure you two were doing. Where were you guys?" he inquired politely.

"Hogsmeade," Lily mumbled. Sirius nodded civilly. James glared at the ground as they trudged on up the stairs. Finally, they reached the Gryffindor common room.

"Well, this is my stop," Sirius said brightly. His eyes flickered over to James and then back to Lily. "Well, I hope to see you two again." He bowed. James rolled his eyes. _The asshole…_

"Listen, uhh, Lily, I hope you don't mind if I stop by their common room for awhile. I, uhh, have some things I have to take care of," James said slowly. "Can you walk back to our common room yourself?" Lily nodded, gave a small wave, and left.

"What in the name of Godric Gryffindor do you think you're doing!" James whispered menacingly the minute she was gone. Sirius grinned.

"Just spending time with you two," he said innocently. James' hands flew up to his hair. He glared at Sirius.

"You're breaking the bet rules! You're not allowed to interfere with Lily and me!" James cried. Sirius shrugged.

"How is that interfering with you two? All I did was talk with you guys," he said. James kicked the wall.

"You know what? Just forget it! I don't care! I don't care if I lose, if I win, if you do anything! I don't care at all!" he shouted. Sirius paused.

"Do you care about Lily?" he asked quietly. James froze. For once, he didn't have an answer. Sirius nodded knowingly. "Fine. I'll see you later, Prongs." He left James standing in the corridor.

A/N: I'm really sorry everyone! I update really slowly, and this chapter was extremely short, I know. But it seemed like a good cut-off point.

Remember to add those costume suggestions!

I'm sorry to say that there will be no more chapters for the next six weeks because I am going on vacation. I am extremely sorry, but I promise a huge, long chapter when I get back!


	7. Amos Diggory

I'M BACK! YAHOO!

Disclaimer: Nope, sorry, got the wrong person.

A/N: Okay, because I am getting so many reviews about my "inaccurate" facts, I will change the story! I went back and edited all my chapters! It's getting so annoying having to write the same thing every single time! Thank you to **Confusedthoughts** who wrote that awesome review for me about it!

A special thanks to the following people who reviewed :

- gave idea for costumes (I want to thank those people so much!)

**- Greengrl** (a prince and and princess seem too obvious, idk, and I really can't imagine sirius dressing up as ken!)

**Sam**

**Love-James-Potter** (omg, I kno! i already talked about it in my next chapter! Jeez! And, technically, this is my story so I can change stuff if I want to!)

**LilyFlower121**

**Fred+GeorgeLover**

**- James'gurl7492 **(hey, that's a pretty good idea, the only thing is that the costumes would be kinda difficult to describe, but I might use it anyways)

**Dest **(I know, but I need Lily to have at least one wizard/witch parent because of an idea I have)

**badgurl13a** (I know, I said that Professor Snape is Severus Snape's father)

**XXRoseDawsonXX **(lol, its not really a 6 week vacation – I'm going to China for 3 weeks cuz I have to improve my Chinese, and then I'm going to Bermuda on vacation for the next two weeks, and I figure I need another week to get back, recover from jet lag, and type a really long chapter)

**Hpfanatic53072**

**Apotterlover**

**- Lnk** (vampires or frankensteins? Hmm… Well, I want something a little more creative, but I might use that)

**ARodAndyRoddickfan** (I'm going to China for 3 weeks cuz I have to improve my Chinese, and then I'm going to Bermuda on vacation for the next two weeks, and I figure I need another week to get back, recover from jet lag, and type a really long chapter)

**Lilypearl** (Jeez, read my notes! I already said that Professor Snape is Severus Snape's father, I need Lily to be halfborn for a reason, and I want James to have green eyes!)

**Cuteness5467** (Omg, your calling me ignorant? You are totally ignoring my notes! I clearly said that Professor Snape is Severus Snape's father and Lily is halfborn for a reason! Jesus! So I would greatly appreciate it if you wouldn't call me a smartass and say that I am crazy and dumb! You are completely wasting my time by making me write this out!)

**Confusedthoughts** (Well, I already thanked you for your review, but thank you again!)

**Bratski**

**- Nothinrunlikeadeere **(Well, those are all 'Muggle' movies, so I don't know if James would go for that lol. The Pirates of the Carribean idea is kinda appealing though, so I'll consider that)

**GothChick13a**

A/N: I'm trying tobepatient, but this is so frustrating! I'm still getting reviews about"Professor Snape",James' eyes, and how Lily is muggle-born! So, I'm not going to be using my ideas anymore. Iwent back and edited all of my chapters to fit your standards! I am sick of getting those reviews!

I hope I got this chapter out in time! I haven't really been counting the weeks, sorry. And, if it's a little late, it's mostly because of my foot. You see, on my vacation, I got, like, the whole top of my foot cut. Now, the skin is all disgusting and flaky, so I've been limping around everywhere. My parents are trying to keep me in bed until it heals, but I'll sneak to the computer a lot. But – in this chapter, it gets exciting!

* * *

Chapter 7

"Potter!" Lily snapped for the third time that day. James looked up, irritated. "You're not helping at all! I'm coming up with all the ideas here!" she cried. James rolled his eyes.

"I told you, we should have snowballs that fly around in the halls," James protested. Lily glared at him.

"No you didn't. You said we should have snowballs that fly around in the halls and _hit Severus Snape_," she retorted. James shrugged nonchalantly. "What have you got against him, anyway?"

"Snape… He's just an idiot. A git. He has that greasy hair and that weird nose. And the way he gets so angry when we hex him, it's really funny. It's a lot of fun to taunt him." James started laughing.

Lily glared at him. "So Severus Snape has some bad qualities on the outside. But that's no reason to hex him every time you see him!" she replied angrily. James stopped laughing.

"What the hell are you talking about? Yes, Snape has many bad qualities on the outside." He quickly whipped his hand through his hair. "But it's not like he's a perfect little angel on the inside! He called you a _mudblood!_ You were trying to _help_ him, and he completely degraded you in front of everyone!" he cried. Lily couldn't find any words to say. James grunted. "That's not the real reason why I hate him, you know. He… He cares too much about blood. You know, pureblood, halfblood… mudblood." He spat out the last word. Lily swallowed hard. "I don't see why it matters. We're all wizards and witches. We can all do magic. What's the point?"

Lily looked down. _Jesus, that didn't sound like Potter. More like… someone normal. _James continued. "In fact… I always thought he'll probably be one to join the Death Eaters. Kill innocent Muggleborns… Follow Voldemort…" His voice trailed off. Lily blinked several times. James bent over and put his head in his hands, ruffling his hair. Lily gave him a couple seconds before…

"Potter…?"

James looked up and gave her a small smile. "Sorry… It's just that… Well, you know my parents are Aurors. Good ones, to be honest. Well, they're always chasing after Voldemort… And it just… It scares me sometimes… To think what they're up against, what could happen to them…"

Lily didn't know what urged her to do this, but she took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "It must be hard. Having your parents always leaving and… and never being around." James smiled bitterly.

"Yeah. Yeah, it is."

* * *

"Evans… Pst! Evans!" James hissed. Lily opened her eyes groggily. _Uhh… What time is it? It feels like the crack of dawn._ "Hey Evans! You up yet?" James whispered. Lily groaned.

"No."

"Good, c'mon, follow me," James urged, throwing her her robes. "It's cold in the castle." Lily quickly slipped into them and slowly trudged out of the room, where James was waiting. James nodded curtly and beckoned for her to follow him.

"Potter! It's past curfew! We can't wander around the corridors at this time! We're Head Boy and Girl, and we've already gotten in trouble for this once! We'll get stripped from our badges!" Lily hissed. James waved his hand carelessly.

"Relax, Evans. I've got this covered. Here, put this on," James said, handing her the Invisibility Cloak. Lily gazed at it, awed, but carefully slipped it over herself. James grabbed a lantern and ducked under it.

"C'mon, let's go," he whispered. They slowly opened the portrait and slipped out into the dark halls. Lily felt awkward and nervous. _Crap, I'm breaking the rules! And it's all because of James Potter!_

"Potter, where are we going?" Lily demanded. James motioned for her to be quiet. Mrs. Norris slowly slunk out of the shadows, her eyes burning in the spot that they were standing. Lily gulped. _Oh God. I hope Mrs. Norris can't see us._ Luckily, the cat blinked and slowly skulked away, only turning her head back once to glare at that spot once more.

"Oh, thank God," Lily exhaled. James grabbed Lily's hand and led her through the castle doors into the fresh air.

"Here we are," James said, grinning at Lily. Lily blinked. She looked around, as if trying to make a point. James tilted his head.

"Umm… You woke me up… to take me outside…?" Lily felt anger burning up inside of her. James seemed to notice that.

"Oh, umm… No, not really. Well, yes, but no… Here, just come on," James said quickly, leading her up a hill. Lily was surprised to see a blanket lying on the grass. Next to it was a small thermos. "Have a seat," James said, gesturing towards the blanket. Lily sat down tensely. James grabbed the thermos and poured two cups of coffee, handing one to Lily. She took a sip and immediately felt the warmth slide through her body. James stretched out next to her.

"Hold on… It should start soon," he assured her. Lily followed his gaze into the sky. It was slowly becoming brighter. The tips of the sun were peaking out from the tops of the trees. The sky was a brilliant purple.

"Did you really wake me up to let me see the sunrise?" Lily asked, trying to hide her smile. A sinking feeling thudded in James' stomach as he sat up. _Oh no. She's gonna get mad at me. Again._ He tried to look apologetic.

"Well I –"

"James Potter, that is so…" Lily paused. James bit his lower lip nervously. A slow grin slid onto her face. "So unlike you," she finished. James tried not to grin back. He slowly settled back onto the blanket.

Lily couldn't help but smile. _Jeez. He really surprises me sometimes. Maybe I was too quick to judge him. _She slowly let her head down on James' chest. _Oh my God, what am I doing?_ An odd feeling came into her, kind of like her heart was pounding in her head and her toes became numb. Her stomach was queasy, almost in a nauseous way, but Lily knew that she wasn't sick. She closed her eyes and ignored the feeling, just enjoying being with him.

* * *

James slowly recorded down that morning's events in his notebook. Normally, he would have been doodling during History of Magic, but he didn't feel like it that morning. His whole body was practically shaking from excitement. He glanced two seats to his right, where Lily was sitting. He smirked at the sight of her eagerly taking down notes.

"And, so –" Professor Binns was cut off by the shrill ringing of the bell. He looked disappointed. "Very well, class dismissed." Sirius leapt up so fast, he knocked over James' bottle of ink. James scowled at his friend and knelt down to clean up the spill. By the time he was finished, everyone was already out of the classroom. He shoved his books into his bag and strolled outside casually.

"… Hogsmeade trip this weekend," a voice said. James jumped back. It was obviously Amos Diggory's voice. "So… I was wondering if, you know, you might want to go with me."

James ducked his head around the doorway and nearly choked. _Holy shit! It's Lil- Evans, I mean! She won't say yes. She _can't_ say yes! What about this morning? There is no way she'll agree to go. She can't! Please say no! _James watched as Lily blushed.

"Oh, wow. This is really a surprise. I…" James held his breath, praying with all his might. "I'd love to go with you."

* * *

"Come on, it's freezing out here! Let's get some butterbeers," Amos said, grabbing Lily's hand and leading her inside the Three Broomsticks. It was crowded inside. Luckily, they managed to find a table near the back. Amos brushed the snowflakes out of his hair, and – for a split second – Lily had the image of James, running his fingers through his hair.

"Two butterbeers, please," Amos said to the bartender. He took the two glasses and placed them on the table. Lily took a slow sip and enjoyed its warmth. _Mmm… Just like that coffee that Ja - Potter gave me that morning… Why am I thinking about that? I'm here with _Amos Diggory_. Why do I keep comparing things to when I'm with James?_

Lily was interrupted from her thoughts when Amos took her hands. He smiled at her. "We should do this more often. It's really great to be together," he said, flashing his brilliant white teeth at her. Lily smiled back, entranced. She felt her heart melt.

Suddenly, a loud thud made her jump. She was shocked to see James sitting alone at a table in the corner. He had just slammed his cup down. A flash of guilt ran through her. _Oh God, is this bad that I'm on a date with Amos, after all the things that he did for me? He was so sweet to me. But… Amos is so…amazing. Isn't Potter just an arrogant prat? _

"Jeez… James sure looks unhappy," Amos commented. "Maybe he's worried that I might get the Snitch before him at the Quidditch game," he joked. But Lily wasn't paying attention. She was still fixed on James. It was impossible for her to ignore the hurt in James' eyes.

_He's everything you want_

_He's everything you need_

She could see his eyes flashing – anger – regret… Jealousy? _Why do I care about this? It's James Potter! There was never anything between us! _Immediately, the pictures of that morning, during the sunrise, flooded her head. _No. We were just… friends, I guess. Not even. We just hung out sometimes. _But even she knew it wasn't true. She shut her eyes, her heart pounding.

_He's everything inside of you_

_That you wish you could be_

She remembered that day when he took her flying. The way his hair whipped across his face. The way he seemed so calm and ready. The way he easily glided through the air, unable to control his smile. The way that one glance from him would make her melt, when it took Amos Diggory's whole smile to do that.

_He says all the right things_

_At exactly the right time_

Yet she recalled all the nasty things she said about him. _Maybe I did misjudge him. After all, he had been so nice to me. _She watched as James silently took a sip of his butterbeer, refusing to look up. His delicate black hair fell in his eyes. His eyes. The sparkling hazel eyes that had once stared into hers. They were now dull and emotionless.

_But he means nothing to you_

_And you don't know why_

Lily felt a sickening sensation in her stomach. Amos squeezed her hands lightly, trying to get her to turn back to him, but she couldn't. She couldn't forget the look in his face – as if he had been betrayed.

_You're waiting for someone_

_To put you together_

_You're waiting for someone to push you away_

"Hey… Lily. Are you okay?" Amos asked softly. Lily took a deep breath and turned away from James. But she could still see that cold, hard look in his eyes. The way his jaw was set grimly.

_There's always another wound to discover_

_There's always something more you wish he'd say_

"I don't know," she answered shakily. "No… Yes…" Amos looked at her oddly. "Yes," she repeated. Amos looked unsure.

"You looked kinda… I don't know, weird. You were kinda staring at James Potter," Amos said uneasily. Lily inhaled deeply.

"No… No, I wasn't." She tried not to think about him – but she could still see him in her mind. See him and her, sitting at the top of the hill, watching the sunrise. See him and her, flying together. See him and her, laughing and joking during those rare moments when she didn't hate him.

_He's everything you want_

_He's everything you need_

_He's everything inside of you_

_That you wish you could be_

Lily remembered how she had reacted when she found out she had to tutor James. She remembered how James had coaxed her into telling him about her family. She remembered how he had joked that he would murder her sister and Vernon if they did anything to her.

_He says all the right things_

_At exactly the right time_

_But he means nothing to you_

_And you don't know why_

Amos slowly let go of her hands, clearly disappointed at her lack of interest in him. But Lily didn't really care now. She closed her eyes, remembering their first kiss. It had been right when she had fallen off the broom.

_But you'll just sit tight_

_And watch it unwind_

_It's only what you're asking for_

_And you'll be just fine_

_With all of your time_

_It's only what you're waiting for_

She recalled the time when James had asked her why she hated him. She had just blurted out an answer, not really caring if it was true or not. But he had been hurt. She could tell. He had been disappointed, offended.

_Out of the island_

_Into the highway_

_Past the places where you might have turned_

_You never did notice_

_But you still hide away_

_The anger of angels who won't return_

Amos sighed. "Lily… maybe we should go." Lily swallowed hard. _I can't belive I am actually taking a moment to decide between Amos Diggory and James Potter. I would have never done that before. But… maybe Potter can change. Maybe. _

James sighed and ran his hands through his silky, jet-black hair. _I was so close. I thought I was there. I was so close to winning. But Amos Diggory had to come into the picture. _Yet he knew that Amos Diggory had nothing to do with it. No. It was all him. _I failed. I should have known that I couldn't do it. No, not Lily Evans. Obviously she would prefer "pretty-boy Diggory" rather than me. The good boy, the one that follows all the rules. The one that doesn't sneak around past curfew. _He felt sick at that thought. It just triggered the memories of the times they had snuck around the castle together. He closed his eyes. Tried to empty his thoughts.

_I am everything you want_

_I am everything you need_

_I am everything inside of you_

_That you wish you could be_

He tried flattening his hair down, remembering how much Lily hated it when he raked his fingers through. _Amos Diggory never does that._ _The bastard. He's so perfect. Too perfect. I was right there. At the top. I had her. But Diggory had to reach her first. Why am I so depressed? I only lost a bet. So what? _He sighed again.

_I say all the right things_

_At exactly the right time_

_But I mean nothing to you_

_And I don't know why_

James fiddled with his Snitch, but he just wasn't in the mood. _I thought I could win. I thought that I could get Lily Evans to fall for me. But I couldn't. I was wrong. I lost. I lost fifteen galleons and two weeks of freedom… _He laid several sickles on the table to pay for the butterbeer and got up. _So why am I so depressed? It's nothing, right? _He made his way through the crowds of people and out the door, slamming it behind him. _Why do I feel like I just lost a part of my life? _He pushed his way through the swirls of flakes around him.

_Why?_

_I don't know. _

* * *

A/N: How's that? Things are speeding up now! Please review! I hope this chapter was long enough. It's seven pages on Microsoft Word. I know it's definitely not as long as I was hoping it to be, but it seemed like a good ending. I think I might have gotten this chapter out a little earlier though, but that's because some of my vacation was cut short.

Btw, I need more costume ideas! I got some good ones that I'm still considering, but ideas are still welcome!

And - that song, which is called "Everything You Want", does not belong to me! It all belongs to the wonderful Vertical Herizon!


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